John E. Chad Dallas emerged as one of the top under-the-radar pitching prospects in the Toronto Blue Jays organization this season. Tossing a system leading 123-and-third innings between High-A Vancouver and Double-A New Hampshire - 18 of his 23 starts came at the higher of the two levels - the 23-year-old right-hander went 9-3 with a 3.65 ERA and a 4.08 FIP.
Repertoire and Pitching Style
David Laurila interviewed Chad Dallas to gain insights into his repertoire and pitching style. Here's what Dallas had to say:
Chad Dallas: “I throw a four-seam, a slider, a curveball, an occasional changeup, and I recently added a cutter. I spin the ball a lot. I don’t attack a whole bunch of people with the fastball. I like to attack with my offspeed, sort of a pitch backwards kind of deal. Some teams know that, so there are also games where they start sitting soft and I mostly attack them with the heater and the cutter."
Dallas explains his approach to pitching, emphasizing his reliance on off-speed pitches and strategic use of his fastball and cutter.
Dallas: “Yeah. I mean, I’m not the hardest thrower. I’m 90-plus, but you’ve got guys out there nowadays, starters even, who can run it up to triple digits. That’s insane."
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He acknowledges that he isn't the hardest thrower, focusing instead on movement and strategy.
Dallas: “I know that hitters can hit soft - especially the higher up you go - but in high school and college they were always trying to rip the first fastball they saw. I didn’t want to give them that pitch to hit; I wanted to give them something that moves."
Dallas prefers to challenge hitters with movement rather than relying solely on velocity.
Spin Rate and Movement
Dallas: “I don’t. I think I’ve been close to 3,000 [rpm] at times with my slider, but I’m not sure I’ve ever actually entered the 3,000s."
Dallas: “The curveball isn’t what I’d consider 12-6 - it gets some glove-side and some decent depth - and the slider is more of what people are calling the sweeper. I’m trying to keep that same line, that same plane - I’m trying to get that big horizontal look - and I have got it up to 20 [inches]. But on average, it’s anywhere between 12 and 17."
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He details the spin rate and movement characteristics of his slider and curveball.
Pitch Development
Dallas: “Not especially, although I did start spiking my curveball this year. I think that has helped me stay consistent with the shape. And then the slider I learned from my pitching coaching in college, Frank Anderson. His son, Brett Anderson, pitched in the big leagues. I basically used his cutter grip to learn a slider. It was supposed to be a cutter - this was in my last year [at Tennessee] - but I was getting around it a little more and it ended up being a slider."
Dallas shares insights into how he developed his slider and curveball, emphasizing the importance of consistency and adaptation.
Fastball and Cutter
Dallas: “It has decent vert and not a whole bunch of run. The vert ranges from 16 to a little higher, and sometimes it even gets what we call ‘the upper cut.’ That’s when you get good vert and it kind of stays with the horizontal… it’s almost perceived, or even actual, cut."
Dallas: “I think the spin is somewhere around average. I’m not too sure, though. I’ll look at the metrics in bullpens, but only a little bit. If I spend too much time on the numbers I’ll start to put it in my head and end up thinking too much. But I think it’s decently spun."
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He describes the characteristics of his fastball and cutter, including vertical movement and spin rate.
Velocity and Pitch Mix
Dallas: “The fastball is anywhere from 92 to 95, although I don’t get a whole bunch of them up to 95. The slider could be anywhere from 82 to… I mean, on days where everything feels good coming out, it’s gotten up to 86. Those are my favorite days, when it’s a little harder. The curveball usually sits around 78-82. Then the changeup is about 88, but sometimes it’s up to 90 when it doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do."
Dallas provides velocity ranges for his various pitches.
Dallas: “I’d keep the slider at number one. I’d probably go slider, cutter, fastball, curveball, then changeup. Actually, maybe I’d put the fastball a little closer to the one spot. It’s been been a lot better this year than in previous years."
He ranks his pitches in terms of preference and effectiveness.
Toronto Blue Jays Org Starting Pitcher - Chad Dallas - Full Interview
College Career
A transfer from Panola (Texas) JC, Dallas led Tennessee with 21.1 innings in the shortened 2020 season and posted a 2.53 ERA in the process. While he didn’t quite hold opposing teams to that sterling mark this spring, Dallas did impress over 15 starts and 90.2 innings, with a 4.27 ERA and standout strikeout and walk numbers. He struck out 106 batters (10.5 K/9) and walked 19 (1.9 BB/9) and had the fourth-best strikeout-to-walk ratio among SEC pitchers who started 10 or more games. He’s been mostly a three-pitch arm this spring, with an average fastball that sits in the 91-93 mph range but has been up to 97, with both a curveball and a slider-pitches he improved over the offseason.
The curve is a hard downer in the 79-81 mph range that is effective against righties and lefties, while the slider sits in the mid 80s with late and hard bite that makes it an effective swing-and-miss offering inside and out of the zone. Dallas has flashed a mid-80s changeup as well, but he rarely uses it and it’s a distinct fourth pitch at the moment. Dallas’ arm action gets a bit lengthy in the back with some plunging action, but he’s been a strong strike-thrower for two years now and scouts have confidence he can start at the next level, with the sort of breaking stuff that should be able to miss pro bats.
Key Statistics
Here's a summary of Chad Dallas's key statistics:
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| ERA (Double-A New Hampshire) | 3.65 |
| FIP | 4.08 |
| Strikeouts (College) | 106 |
| K/9 (College) | 10.5 |
| BB/9 (College) | 1.9 |
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